Bhubaneswar-Rangeilunda flight service twice a week in April

Berhampur: After allowing flight scheduled and timings of the nine-seater IndiaOne Air plane between Bhubaneswar and Rangeilunda in March, the Directorate of Aviation, Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), in a letter to the Ganjam district administration on March 25, has granted permission for continuation of flight service twice a week from April 2 to April 30.

The flight service between Bhubaneswar and Rangeilunda was flagged off from Biju Patnaik International Airport by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on March 5.

The flight takes almost one hour between Bhubaneswar and Rangeilunda airstrip. The scheduled time of departure of the plane from Bhubaneswar to Rangeilunda was 9 am and from Rangeilunda to Bhubaneswarit was 10.25 am on April 2. The scheduled time of departure from Bhubaneswar and Rangeilunda is 8.50 am and 10-15 am on April 5, 8.55 am and 10.20 am on April 9, 9am and 10.25 am on April 12, 8.55 am and 10.20 am on April 16, 8.50 am and 10.15 am on April 19, 9 am and 10.25 am on April 23, 8.55 am and 10.20 am on April 26 and 8.50 am and 10.15 am on April 30.

Ganjam Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida said earlier that the process for expansion of the airstrip is on. "We are determined to upgrade Rangeilunda airstrip to operate 19-seater planes by developing infrastructure which is expected to be completed by October next.

"Rangeilunda airstrip is presently having a 800-metre-plus long runway and we are planning to extend it up to 1,000 metres by acquiring 15 acres of adjoining private land.

An irrigation canal passing through the area would be diverted for which the process has already been started," the Collector said.